Random Thoughts from September 2020

It's the end of SEPTEMBER .... how in the hell does this year feel like it's gone so quickly but yet it's dragging on???  Nonetheless, the good news is that it's ALWAYS coffee season, Canadian Thanksgiving is around the corner ... and there's LOTS to be thankful for.

COFFEE TALK

Some of you may have seen a recent IG story I posted (and post in the free group) that a new member informed me that a search of Facebook for Western Feng Shui led her to ME!!!!)  The UNSTUCK with the FENG SHUI CHICK facebook group is officially #7 on the list when you search which ... I think is the fuckin COOLEST thing I never knew I wanted to achieve.

Life is funny that way, hey???

One day you don't even consider what number you are in a search bar and then the next day you find out that you're number seven and you INSTANTLY wanna be number one.  (I'm SURE I'm not alone in this, am I?)

Next fun fact about me ... I also believe that these things show up, as little messages from the Universe that guide us.  Everything is a sign.  

For example:  a porcupine on the side of the road.  Interesting!  I wonder what the porcupine represents?  (Google says:  harnessing the power of faith and trust)

Example 2:  a friend of mine continually got a flat tire regularly while driving to or from work.  Interesting!  I wonder what that represents?  Google says that she is not on the right path.

YOU SEE???

There is potential meaning in everything!!!

To me, the fact that this one person just HAPPENED to be searching western feng shui and my group HAPPENED to show up as number 7 (and she HAPPENED to count it), that she HAPPENED to join my group and then I HAPPENED to have asked how she found me in the membership questions screener????  ALL NOT COINCIDENCE.

It was a sign.

And the sign said:  move your fucking ass and stop sitting on it Priestley.  People need you to show up.  

And so here I am .... showing the fuck up in a bigger way.  Stay tuned ...

 
FENG SHUI TIP OF THE MONTH

Did you know that Stats Canada noted that in 2019, 20% of kids in Canada have noted that they feel EXTREME stress?  Extreme.   One in every FIVE kids is feeling this!  It's heart-wrenching to me, to think of all of the pressure that our kids are feeling these days.  The need to be perfect.  The need to excel.  The need to look, act, feel, behave, achieve, have ... the things that their friends do.  

As parents we do the very best we can to support them (even though we're tired and some days patience wears thin) but one thing that I do know ... when the social stressors of school, sports, snapchat, video games and all the rest of it occur, we need to do what we can to make their ROOM a safe haven from stress.

Tips to consider (try one or try em all):

- declutter (I mean it).  In order to manage life as best as we possibly can, we need a good night sleep.  That goes for our kids too.  Being surrounded by "stuff" means their minds don't ever stop thinking and they are in a constant state of overwhelm.  I do not mean, have open shelves of toys all over the room ... I mean a toy box, with a lid, that closes all the toys in them at night so they are unseen.  Having one or two stuffed animals in bed with them at night (not 40).  

Note:  I know that this is hard to convince kids to clean their own rooms.  We leave it messy to try to get them to clean it themselves (and then they are stressed) or we clean it for them (and then the buggers don't appreciate it or worse yet ... we fear that they will NEVER EVER know how to clean their room, right?  My response is that as best as you can, show them how much better they feel and sleep and study, when their room is clean.  Help them to be mindful of it.  And then see what happens.

- Use soft pale colours and a relaxing ambience as much as possible.
 
- remove the electronics!  The EMFs cause some serious havoc with our bodies and lends to increased anxiety

- Ensure their beds are in the command position (furthest away from the door, solid wall behind their head, view of the door)

- put away the homework!!!  Nothing will stress a kid out more, than to try to sleep sitting next to the MATH TEXTBOOK that they hate.

Remember:  just as we feel more at peace and less anxious in a tidy uncluttered space, so do your kids.  They will sleep better, be happier and do better in school when they have some organized environments.  

COOL SHIT I LOVE:

This month I attended a virtual SOUND BATH SESSION.  Have you ever been to one?  Imagine FEELING sounds, deep within your being.  It allows you to get into a deep state of relaxation, reduce stress and anxiety, sleep better, improve digestion, memory and make you supper.  (Ok ... just kidding on the last one).  If you wanna learn a little bit more and feel the vibration of what I'm meaning, you can click HERE.  

Now, as soon as I was out of this session, the Universe (or Zuckerberg) started to show me a ton of ads for sound therapy type things and THIS one intrigued me the most.  It's called the PANDA DRUM from Delaware!  They come in different sizes (and some good deals if you check them out on Instagram).  I think these are just the coolest of things and might just be THE THING for the enlightened person on your Christmas gift list who has everything.

WHAT (or who) INSPIRES ME:

Have you seen the movie "The Secret:  Dare to Dream" yet?  Katie Holmes is a young widow who begins the movie with this notion that life is always hard ... that things never go her way.  She is trying to raise her kids to be "realistic".  At one point she says:  "I swear, my whole life is like that gut feeling that something really bad is going to happen and then ... it does."

She meets a professor who starts to help her children and her see that what you put out there, you get back.  "I've found that when I think about what I want, instead of what I don't want, my life is so much better."

It's a feel good rom-com that allows you to see the Law of Attraction at work, rich with symbolism and some great quotes that I actually wrote down while watching it!!!  Here's a few of my faves:

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous".  Einstein

"Every person should ask themselves, is this a friendly Universe"  Einstein.  (Because your ANSWER, determines your LIFE)

"We have to be careful, because we get what we expect."

"The more you think about something, the more you draw it to you."  

"I'm open to the possibility that whatever happens, even the bad stuff, can lead to better things."  

I think this movie is super cute and it's LIGHT.  Let's face it there are just days when you wanna feel the same ENERGY as The Secret but your brain isn't interested in a documentary.  THIS is your answer ...

If you have a family member, kids or friends who are really skeptical about the law of attraction, aren't interested in listening to a podcast or reading a book on how the Universe works OR ... if you're stuck in your head, mentally whining about your life and need a feel good movie to watch that inspires you, check it out!

 
CLIENT SHOWCASE:

I've had a some amazing coaching calls this month.  Each of them, in their own way has been so exciting to me and taking someone from STUCK to ON-FIRE in just 90 minutes is likely more exciting for me than it is even for them.  Even better, is when they message me within the next few days and so much has changed for them.

For one particular client this month (Holly) ... it was the moment she moved this gorgeous cross.  Let me explain ...



This particular breakthrough call was for feng shui specifically.  

We started with goals.  

Holly wanted to create a space for her and her family that is healthy, brings about inner peace and also allows her to connect with helpful people and travel more.  AWESOME.

We "walked" through her home (and I let the energy and my intuition guide me).  She took me through her space virtually and we chatted about her life, what is important to her, what rooms she uses (and which ones she doesn't).  We talked about what she really felt was missing from her space and what was working well.  I got to know her soul.  (How COOL that I am able to get to do this work???)

I intuitively knew that she needed an anchor and I also knew ... I would be drawn to the item energetically.  I knew that I would FEEL its power when I saw it.

We passed through a hallway where this cross hung and IMMEDIATELY I felt this pull toward it.  I asked her to tell me about it.  What did the cross mean to her?  How did it make her feel?  What is the story it tells?

She wanted to spend more devotional time and wanted inner peace.  

I wanted her to wake up to something beautiful every single morning ... to set the intention for the day and I KNEW this was the piece.

Immediately after the call, she grabbed a nail and hammer and moved the cross to the wall nearest her side of the bed.  I checked in with her the next morning to ask her how it felt.  Her response:

"It felt comforting and like a big hug, loving and warm. Also strength!!"

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!! 

But it gets even better.

Within two days, she made a whole HOST of changes to her space.  She reorganized furniture to allow for better flow.  She decluttered and removed the items that don't represent the life she WANTS.  She moved her desk and added some pink hydrangeas to the corner of it.  She started a business selling ZIYA clothing!!!  (I just purchased my first pair of pants this summer ... soooooo comfy and cheaper than Lululemon!)  

She made changes to her space and her energy and her life changed ... in an instant:

"Well shit....move a cross and I'm on fire! "

Her story inspired me so much and it's like I cannot YELL this loud enough, often enough, to enough people ... YOUR LIFE CAN CHANGE WITH ONE ITEM MOVED.  That one item can shift YOUR energy enough, for you to have the motivation, the inspiration, the drive and the awareness that you need in order to make the other changes happen.  

I'm so thrilled that she wakes up to an item that anchors in that feeling of comfort and strength.  I'm so happy that she sees her space differently now.  I'm so ecstatic that with the changes she is making, she is opening up to new vision, new possibilities and new opportunities.   I cannot wait to see what happens next for her!

If you wanna check out her new business and support a wonderful entrepreneur ... you can check out Holly's catalogue HERE!  p.s. I bought the Dark Grey Peak Zipper Jogger and even on my 5'10" bod ... these suckers are plenty long!!!  I personally like to wear a shirt with mine but hey ... you can "do you" if you WANT to ... I'm all about individual CHOICE around here.  lol  




WHAT'S COMIN UP?

I've been tossing around "what's next" and I've been paying particular attention to what you are asking for and the messages that keep coming up are "inner peace".

WHO KNEW we were all stressed out, overwhelmed and feeling stretched beyond reasonable?  (She types as she then wonders ... did life slow down so much during Covid Quarantine that we aren't wanting to go back to the way it WAS???).

Anyway, this month the women in my Membership are going to be enjoying 31 days of mindfulness!!!  Every day, we will be focusing on paying attention to our thoughts, to the signs, to our intuition.  We will be focusing on the present moment, doing meditations but also???

I'M TALKING ABOUT ANCHORS IN OUR SPACES!!!  Designing our mood and energy of the day, using this anchoring technique of mine!!!  

In addition, I've added in a WHOLE BRANDING COURSE, I've got some card readings coming up and once we get to 50 members ... I'm going to be doing some LIVE INTUITIVE READINGS!!!  (Did I mention that the advice I have given out has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars and even a MILLION in one case????).  I'm on fire, people!  Have you checked out the link yet?

Click here for more details on the membership




TASTY, HEALTHY AND PRETTY FANCY:

My daughter and I love to order appetizers when we go out to restaurants.  Designer avocado toast, nachos with unique toppings or a great order of bruschetta.

In most cases those appetizers include cheese or bread/grains and when I eat either, it feels (and looks) as though I've swallowed a beach ball.  sigh.  I love them so though, so when I come across a recipe where I can get the flavours but NOT the bloating ... I'm all over it.  This is one that I loved this month ...  

BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN



INGREDIENTS

3 cups diced crusty bread (I like sourdough or even dark rye bread)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
6 chicken cutlets (thin-cut chicken breast) **
5 Roma tomatoes, diced  (or some grape tomatoes halved)
2 cloves garlic, pressed 
6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade, plus whole fresh basil leaves for garnish 
3 tablespoons balsamic reduction/glaze 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Toss the diced bread with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and place on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven until golden, but still a little chewy, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and grill (or fry in a bit of olive oil), until cooked through and nicely seared, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil chiffonade, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, some salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon balsamic reduction in a bowl. Toss and set aside.

Remove the bread from the oven and, at the last minute, toss with the tomato mixture. Plate the chicken, then top with the bread/tomato mixture, allowing it to fall around the edges and fill in the gaps of the plate. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction and garnish with some fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.

** If you are using regular chicken breasts, just slice the whole thing in half so that the chicken breast is thin.  This STRETCHES your servings, makes it quicker to cook and also, it's nicer to eat!!

***

Well that's it for random stuff from September!!    Once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you SO much to all of you who regularly email me, recommend my group, my courses, my coaching or this newsletter to your friends and colleagues, your biz besties and your family.  I appreciate every one of you and every message that I receive and remember ...

You got this,
Sandra Priestley, the Feng Shui Chick
XO

If you've got a friend who might be interested, invite her to the UNSTUCK with the Feng Shui Chick group or direct her to my IG account:  @sandrarpriestley.  The link to this newsletter is in my bio and I LOVVVVVE seeing the number of subscribers go up!!!